Santa Sings Up on the Housetop in this festive sing-along from the North Pole. Part of Santa’s Music Time series, the video pairs one of Christmas’s most enduring carols with on-screen lyrics, so every member of the family can follow along and join in. Santa brings his trademark warmth to a song that generations of children have grown up singing.
It’s a simple, joyful way to fill the house with holiday music — whether it’s playing while you trim the tree, wrap gifts, or gather together on a quiet December evening. The song’s bouncy, repetitive rhythm makes it especially easy for younger children to pick up, and within a verse or two even the littlest singers are usually chiming in on the “ho, ho, ho” and “click, click, click.”
Up on the Housetop holds a quiet place in Christmas history. Written in 1864 by Benjamin Hanby, an Ohio songwriter and minister’s son, it is widely considered one of the very first secular Christmas songs ever published — and one of the earliest to focus on Santa Claus himself rather than the religious traditions of the season. Some music historians rank it as the second-oldest Christmas song still in regular rotation today, after “Jingle Bells.”
What has kept the carol alive for more than 150 years is how perfectly it captures a child’s-eye view of Christmas. The lyrics follow Santa’s reindeer landing on the roof and Santa climbing down the chimney to fill the stockings of children by name. It’s a song built entirely around the moment children most look forward to: the arrival of Santa, and the gifts he leaves behind. That focus on anticipation and wonder is exactly why it still lands with families today.
The carol has been recorded by countless artists over the decades and remains a staple of children’s Christmas albums, school holiday concerts, and family sing-alongs. Its melody is gentle and predictable, which is part of its charm — it was written to be sung by children, not just to them. For many families, it’s one of the first Christmas songs a child learns all the way through.
Santa’s rendition in this video leans into that tradition. With the lyrics on screen and Santa himself leading the way, it turns a quiet afternoon into an impromptu family concert. Play it once and most children will ask for it again — and before long it becomes part of your own family’s holiday soundtrack, year after year.
If your family loves singing along with Santa, there’s an even more magical way to share the season with him.
Santa Can Visit From Anywhere
Not in Southern California? Santa can still visit your family — virtually, from anywhere in the world.